Defence technology:?What we do require?

.. by Prof R.K Baig

Pakistan is battling for its survival at many fronts such as economic, foreign relations, defence, restructuring, social, religious and scores of others? but it is not only ours that has faced this situation. In the recent past scores of? other countries bigger and smaller ones equally have faced such volatile situations and have fought against the adverse forces and have sought technical help from friendly countries to overcome the hurdles faced by them. They finally solved their problems and set on the path to a better future. Let me remind you that Pakistan has also been facing the same? but has failed in many sectors despite urgent need to overcome the hurdles and think and rethink for solutions? but this effort has not been successful in various ways. For example

Ayub Khan had gt about ten years to put the country on the path to development, did many things of value, built? some factories and was over jubilant which he? over publicized inadvisably while at the same time China was also passing through the same stage of survival but did not publicize anything but rather kept all things about China in complete concealment and had perplexed the world including Russia about? what was going on inside Chinese border till 70s but our governments overacted, went to SEATO AND CENTO and got the displeasure of many neighbours but internally our so called 5 year plan was not going as envisaged and it did not achieve the goals that were adumberated in those plans. They did very little for developing defence technology but depended on weapons bought from US, France and some other countries but did not develop any indigenous technology.

When Mr. Bhutto came to power he focussed on high profile international relationship especially with the backward Muslim countries who were just puppets at that time, useless and lethargic, devoid of technology added by poverty of high degree. The Summit of Muslim heads of states did assemble Muslim leaders among whom some were revolutionaries but that was an emotional meaasure and awakenned US and NATO to the designs of Bhutto and his colleagues. This alerted them to take steps against some of the dynamic leaders-every action has an equal and opposite reaction- and this was not forethought by the Muslim leadership so that phase of high sounding bambastic speeches brought Pakistan nothing except enemity and distrust of the neighbours and enemies but Pakistan internally remained poor, technologically weak, backward, insecure, vulnerable , exposed and at the same time suffered lack of discipline.

Defence technology that was urgently needed was not developed except Nuclear hue and cry for a couple of days but indigenously there was poor production . Mirage and F16 were bought on strict terms and outdated devices were given? but technology was held back. That did us no good. We could manufacture only a few weapons like Tanks, missiles, traditional weaponry but no? fighter jets, no supersonic aircrafts, no guided missiles, no helicopters of any denomination which we still buy and depend upon them and jubilate in vain. We require to manufacture high resolution aircrafts, a large number of various kinds of Heicoptors for defence and other civil, disaster activities and invent new weapons that no country has so far invented – some thing unique and genuine. Our dependence on other countries? for defence technology is a matter of great concern for me and other true Pakistanis. We should never depend on others for technology but must develop it? by our own sources-indigenously? and mass production of sophisticated, most modern and highly technical weapons is the crying need of the day that must be focussed as top priority for stability and safer future. Pakistan Zinda Bad! .. Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig, Chitral 24 Mar 2019

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